SENIOR figures in Glasgow Labour have denied being in cahoots with a “sinister” online loyalist troll.

In recent months the anonymous “Bears Fight Back” account has tweeted information which many in the city’s SNP group believe could only have come from Labour sources.

The account, which has since been suspended, and is believed to belong to an individual in Belfast, is no fan of the SNP, and Susan Aitken in particular.

Much of the anger comes from his belief that she is anti-Rangers, and stems from the controversy over the Rangers fanzone.

The dispute started in 2018, when the club applied for permission to host family-friendly games and entertainment at a council-owned facility opposite Ibrox.

That application was knocked back by the council, infuriating Rangers.

Supporters of the club suggested the rejection had more to do with the politics of the SNP administration than the lack of support from the community council cited by the local authority.

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Last year, at 10.45am, on November 20, the Bears Fight Back account tweeted about a letter from Frank McAveety to Aitken calling on her to resign. He wrote: “Susie any interesting emails in this morning? You didn't have another party leader asking you to resign, did you?”

However, Aitken didn’t receive the email from McAveety until 1.45pm.

The account then apologised for knowing about the email before the council leader did.

On November 21, he tweeted: “By the way yesterday’s email to Susie, She will probably confirm I knew before it even reached her it was coming........ She didn’t get it to one o’clock. I told her it was coming yesterday morning........”.

He then tweeted details from two Freedom of Information responses sent to Labour councillor Martin McElroy, including one about the former Lord Provost Eva Bolander’s clothing expenses – before they were made public in newspapers.

The row over the Provost’s spending ultimately led to her resignation.

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On October 6, he tweeted: “The chain wearing centipede reports claim also has a huge f**** corset to keep her belly in."

The next day he wrote: “How many pairs of shoes does a provost need & paid for by the public? Can someone explain?”

On October 8 the Daily Record published a story on Lord Provost expenses with the article going online at 4.30am.

A senior SNP source said: “This Twitter account has continually sought to stoke tensions and repeatedly stalks, intimidates and harasses democratically elected councillors. The bile it spews out has had real ramifications for councillors’ personal safety and their work in their communities.

“So how on earth has information belonging to prominent Labour people, including its group leader, repeatedly fallen into its hands?

McAveety told the Sun: “I can confirm that we have not provided any information to this particular Twitter account and I am not aware of how this account would have received any information.

“The comments you have drawn to my attention are comments found on the fringes of Twitter and this Labour Group does not conduct its business through personal attacks.

“From the remarks you have provided me with, they are clearly inappropriate."